What Are Transition Words In Writing

Many students today have to deal with writing complex and time-consuming essays. These include topics where two different viewpoints have to be introduced and debated. For more professional essay help like this and plenty of other writing resources related to the use of transition words for compare and contrast essay.

So what do we mean by compare and contrast transition words? Before we delve into these two terms, let's take a look at what a 'transition word' is. Simply put, transition words describe the relationship between two ideas; they are words for similarities and differences. If we were to dissect their purposes to a more nuanced degree, they can:

Show vague or strong similarities between one concept and another
Show a correlation between one concept and another
Show a causal relationship between one concept and the other
Show the opposing natures of one concept and another

What Are Compare And Contrast Transition Words?

As the name clearly implies, they are transition words that establish a comparison or a contrast between one thing and another. These are very useful and quite widely used in any form of writing. The overall effect that comparing expressions and contrast expressions produce is that they make your essays flow much better. By using them, you'll ensure that each and every point you introduce in the piece has a context in relation to each other.

Compare And Contrast Transition Words: Defined And Explained

Comparison Words

What are some 'similarity transition words or transition words' for explaining what two things have in common? Here are a few examples:

In the same way
In like manner
Likewise
Similarly
By the same token

Hence, for example, if you were describing the likeness between the speeds of two different subspecies of lions, you could word it like so: 'subspecies A can reach speeds up to 40 mph. Similarly, subspecies B can achieve a maximum of 35 mph.

Could 'in addition' transitions fit into the domain of comparative phrases as well?

The answer is 'yes'. These can often be used to link multiple traits or features to one entity. For instance, if you want to discuss the multiple benefits of exercise but don't want your sentences to be too lengthy. You could use transition words like 'in addition' and 'furthermore', to list more benefits in a new sentence. Here are a few examples of these comparison terms in use:

'Keeping your tires properly inflated can help prevent random blowouts on the road. In addition, it will also mean that you don't have to spend money as often to replace them. '
'Having a morning cup of coffee will give you the energy you need to start off the day. Furthermore, it will make sure that you don't get grumpy as the day progresses.'
'Learning to play instruments as a family will help you become much closer with each other. On top of that, you'll have a really great time.'

Contrast Words

Whatever would we do without transitions signifying contrast? There would be no way for us to articulate our polar, different and conflicting ideas and thereby debates could not exist. Hence, contrast words are very important to any essay.

Let's take a look at some different 'categories' of these contrasting words:

What are some 'opposite' transition words or phrases?

In contrast
Conversely
At the other end of the spectrum

What are some 'difference' transition words or phrases?

Dissimilarly
A clear difference

What are some 'conflict' transition words or phrases?

However
Nevertheless
On the one hand
On the other hand

Universal Compare And Contrast Words

Not everything is black and white in terms of which words fit into which category of transition words. There are, in fact, grey areas where words can be used to both compare and contrast depending on the context. Let's take a look at these grey areas.

Signal words for compare and contrast – what are they?

These are general words that fall under both contrast and comparative phrases. For example:

At the same time
On the other hand
On the same token
While

What are summary transition words and phrases?

These are words that can be both contrast and comparative terms, that can help tie many points together during a wrap-up. These include:

All things considered
To summarize
In short
To sum up
All in all

Comparison And Contrast Example Sentences

One of the best ways to learn about something is to see how it is applied. Hence, we've compiled a large list of comparison and contrast phrases in action.

Comparison

Here's how these transition phrases are applied:

Regular cardio exercise does wonder for your overall heart health. Likewise, it contributes to the betterment of your mental health.
Listening to your spouse and adjusting your behavior to address his/her concerns can do wonders for your marriage. In the same way, arranging spontaneous fun dates can certainly throw more excitement into things.
Both Leonardo Da Vinci and Francisco Goya were both renowned painters in their respective eras. Similarly, Hieronymus Bosch was an accomplished painter whose works are still revered today.
Followers of Islam believe that there is only one God in existence. In like manner, Christianity is also a monotheistic religion.
Be careful not to harm yourself while roofing your own house. Moreover, take measures to keep tools from falling down and accidentally injuring passersby.
The average life expectancy is greater than it was ten years ago. Furthermore, studies have shown that people are also happier now.
I don't think I'll ever quit eating ice cream. Besides, I exercise daily and take great care of my teeth.
Make sure you make a habit of keeping an eye on the fluid levels of your car. That, coupled with regular inspection of your tires, should ensure that your vehicle remains healthy for a long while.
The number of college-educated people is on the rise as well as the number of women in the STEM fields.

Contrast

Let's take a look at a few examples of how contrast transition words are used in essays:

People who play basketball are generally quite tall. In contrast, gymnasts and jockeys are typically short.
India is an undeniably beautiful country with a rich heritage and vibrant culture. Nevertheless, the country's reputation has been tarnished over the years due to its rampant corruption problems.
On the one hand, a career in the military earns one a lot of respect from everyone. On the other hand, soldiers tend to experience severe depression fairly commonly.
People of the Christian faith strongly believe in the afterlife while Hindus and Buddhists preach the concept of reincarnation and nirvana.
Both vegans and vegetarians avoid the consumption of meat. However, the former also avoids all animal products in all instances.
Bohemian Rhapsody received largely negative reviews from critics when it was released. At the same time, it helped propel them into stardom.
Everyone expects life to go smoothly all the time. In truth, it is filled with constant ups and downs.
Feminism is on the rise now but so is resistance to it.

Using transition words in your paper can elevate your writing to a whole new level since these words do not only make your writing more professional but also strengthen the connections between the ideas and concepts you describe. Using transitions wisely, though, is where the difference between a good and a great writer is, so let's find out more about those.

As you can see from the name, these words indicate either similarity or contradiction between different concepts or ideas you describe. You can click here, to find more about those and the proper ways to use them or use some help with essay writing. You are free to choose any of those as long as they fit the context.

Comparison

Those are fairly simple, and you can put them in between ideas that either entail one another or do not contradict directly. These are:

Likewise
Similarly
Consequently
In the same manner

You can use those whenever you feel like a continuation of your ideas is in order.

Contrasting

In contrast to the comparison transitions, these are meant to draw the line between the ideas you describe and show your reader that right now you are about to talk about something entirely different in nature:

In contrast
However
Nonetheless

These and other similar words can make it easier for you to define the difference between the ideas you describe.

Wrap Up

Using transition words requires some finesse because you should never stuff your essays too much with those. Use them wisely and only where they are necessary and your writing will get to a whole new level.

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Prof Miriam

Prof Miriam holds a Master's Degree in Education Arts from Stanford University. She is a competent writer with five years experience in online academic writing. Over the years, she has gained enough expertise in fields such as Business, Medicine, Psychology, Engineering, Communication, and Philosophy, among other areas of specialization.